Victory puts H&B on verge of title glory

The table-toppers clinched a 19-10 success at third-placed Heathfield who had not lost a game since H&B beat them before Christmas.

Victory in H&B's campaign-concluding match at home to struggling Pulborough on Saturday April 14 will secure the county title.

It took half an hour for the deadlock to be broken on Saturday when a searing break by Ben Campbell was carried close to the line by Kit Claughton. From the ensuing lineout, Heathfield tried to clear the ball, the kick was fielded by Jimmy Adams and passed to Claughton, who dived through defenders to claim his own neat grubber kick, and set the ball up to Roger Roberts, who muscled it over the line for a try, converted by Adams.

Predictably, Heathfield intensified their efforts, and from a lineout on H&B's five metre line, the ball went loose over the tryline and the Heathfield hooker was the first to pounce, to make the half-time score 5-7.

H&B struck again early in the second half. Claughton threaded another grubber through the defence, gathered it himself, and Neil Redman dummied in for a try, 5-12.

With the game still being fiercely contested, and both sides making enough errors under pressure to prevent sustained attacks, it was H&B who struck again. A majestic catch and maul from a lineout saw Redman driven over the line for his second try of the afternoon, well converted by Adams.

While it didn't break Heathfield's fighting spirit, this try turned the game. The hosts' precision and composure evaporated, while H&B asserted their control, and probed for further scores. It was Heathfield, though, who scored again, when a ball moved smartly down the line from a penalty found H&B's defence for once wanting, the overlap efficiently used for an unconverted try.

As H&B mounted more attacks on Heathfield's line, an unsavoury aspect of the game claimed an almost inevitable victim.

Paul Sandeman was straight-arm tackled in the face, breaking his jaw in two places. An earlier similar clothes-line tackle had left Tristan Todd motionless on the ground for several minutes. The referee - who was being assessed - unfortunately missed these and a number of other similar head-high tackles during the game. The assessor didn't, and commented at one stage that the match was in danger of igniting if H&B responded to the provocation.

To their great credit H&B kept their composure, concentrated on their rugby, and - if they can win next weekend's home game against Pulborough - will get the reward they have worked so hard for this season.